Worst Character Assassination Episodes

[Physics of Trekkies]

Equinox (Janeway), and For the Uniform (Sisko),

No comment on "Equinox". I have only watched VOY once and would like to re-visit.

I think in For the Uniform, Sisko was bluffing and I am sure the crew believed he was bluffing, but Eddington acts as if he is convinced, but I wonder if he just wanted the "story" to play out the way they both see it as?

At any rate, I am unconvinced this is character assassination. But am willing to be convinced.

 

[Physics of Trekkies]

In the Pale Moonlight

If I am unsure on "For the Uniform", I am definitely disagreeing with "Pale Moonlight" as being character assassination, no way. Disagree wholeheartedly and would argue it is character defining

 

[Tim Thomason]

If I am unsure on "For the Uniform", I am definitely disagreeing with "Pale Moonlight" as being character assassination, no way. Disagree wholeheartedly and would argue it is character defining

I guess so, in that it introduced Vreenak, therefore defining his character, before assassinating him. But, yeah, I guess that might be better defined as the Best Character Assassination Episode.

 

[Oddish]

Nah, Beverly humping a lamp is so awful it's become legend and awesome. Let her have her kinks

Hmmm... funny how the worst episodes seem to involve sex: lamp sex in Sub Rosa, salamander sex in Threshold, sexual tension in A Night in Sickbay, and... geez, what do I even CALL the sex we saw in Profit and Lace?!

In the Pale Moonlight

My chief issue with that one was putting it right next to Inquisition... it's just revealed that Starfleet has its own "dirty work" organization. So instead of leaving it to them or coordinating with them, Sisko (a shipbuilder and station commander) feels like he has to be the "dirty work" guy.

But that's not necessarily character assassination, just bad episode placement.

If I am unsure on "For the Uniform"...

FTU could be regarded as such, I think. I mean Sisko poisons a @#*$!-ing planet, for crying out loud. That's not exactly a moral act.

 

[Grant]

Bashir is actually mentally retarded and wouldn't have even graduated high school if he hadn't been genetically engineered.

 

[Oddish]

The bizarre thing is that he shows no signs of mental disability in the Mirror Universe episodes. I would think that the Alliance would simply terminate Terrans who were too "defective" to be slaves.

 

[Tim Thomason]

The bizarre thing is that he shows no signs of mental disability in the Mirror Universe episodes. I would think that the Alliance would simply terminate Terrans who were too "defective" to be slaves.

His father was lying and exaggerating. Bashir was fine as a five-year-old and had dreams of becoming a surgeon then, even though his augmentation took place when he was six.

Richard Bashir took what was at most a minor learning disability and used it as justification to subject his son to experimental gene therapy in the hopes he'd become a superhero supergenius.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The bizarre thing is that he shows no signs of mental disability in the Mirror Universe episodes. I would think that the Alliance would simply terminate Terrans who were too "defective" to be slaves.

Just because "Jules" of the prime universe was mentally deficient, doesn't mean his mirror counterpart must also have been.

Infinite multiverse, and all that.

 

[FormerLurker]

Just because "Jules" of the prime universe was mentally deficient, doesn't mean his mirror counterpart must also have been.

Especially when he's at best what I would call and incidental doppelganger, one who looks the same, has the same name, but is different in significant ways (height, weight, age, intelligence, etc.).

 

[at Quark's]

To me, in order to qualify as 'character assassination' an episode has to be betraying a most essential quality of what the character is about, e.g. morality for captain Picard. As for Sub Rosa , while abysmal and while certainly not doing the character of Beverley a service, I can't really see it as character assassination, since being a strong and independent woman to me never was what Beverley was about, even though she also was painted as that in some episodes- she seemed to be aboard more to be Picard's somewhat vague love interest (not trying to step on any toes here, but it's how the character came across to me). Now, if the events of Sub Rosa had happened to Pulaski I'd have called it character assassination. YMMV, of course, I can understand that other people arrive at different conclusions.

 

[Swedish Borg]

"In Theory", Data really was a two-legged toaster in this episode with his "I've programmed myself to care about you" bullshit!!! And the ending "Ok, so I'll just erase that program"... You stupid toaster, you!!!

 

[tomalak301]

Kes, Fury
Icheb, Stardust City Rag

 

[Oddish]

"In Theory"... You stupid toaster, you!!!

Not saying I don't agree with you; I pretty much do: I'm known for my cringeworthy posts, and that episode made me cringe. But out of curiosity, how do you think a Data romance could/should have played itself out?

 

[Swedish Borg]

Not saying I don't agree with you; I pretty much do: I'm known for my cringeworthy posts, and that episode made me cringe. But out of curiosity, how do you think a Data romance could/should have played itself out?

Well, the whole "I've programmed myself to be your lover" thing is just irredeemably idiotic. Look at how Data develops friendships, has he said something to that effect about a friend of his (Yes he did once in Data's day but that also was a stupid episode) otherwise you don't see data running programs about being a friend to someone. Well, a few remarks here and there but we're not overwhelmed by it.
To tell you the truth I don't like Data as a character very much, I think he's tolerable but only in small doses. A whole episode with him doing his antics is a bit too much for me.

Take "To Thine Own self" for example, it's a Data episode but we're not constantly reminded that he's a robot. I mean he doesn't say once in that episode, "I can't feel a thing, I am a robot." Had he done so it would have diminished the episode a great deal.

A romance with Data as he's been defined is just too ridiculous a project to succeed.

 

[Oddish]

A romance with Data as he's been defined is just too ridiculous a project to succeed.

Beyond my ability to create, anyway. Or even imagine.

 

[Physics of Trekkies]

I mean Sisko poisons a @#*$!-ing planet, for crying out loud. That's not exactly a moral act.

No, he doesn't.

 

[Oddish]

No, he doesn't.

So what DOES he do at the end of "For the Uniform"?

 

[dupersuper]

I've always been torn on Geordi during 'Interface' because I always felt the petulant chair banging just wasn't him. Also, it obviously wasn't his mother and I couldn't understand why Geordi would actually believe it was, he was too intelligent and experienced for that.

On the other hand, I could never understand why every one but him was so quick to write his mom and her ship off, given how many times Starfleet ships presumed lost were found and Starfleet personnel presumed dead that have returned.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Phlox had saved the... whatever they were, the people who weren't Menk.

People would have continued to assume that the CMO of a starship knew what evolution was...?

Icheb, Stardust City Rag

I mean, literally yes, but - as horrible as that was - I don't see how he was out of character.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

In The Pale Moonlight is the best Sisko episode.

If he let trillions of people die just to feel good about himself, is that really principled? Or is it egotism?

 

[Oddish]

People would have continued to assume that the CMO of a starship knew what evolution was...?

The point is, there are people who would have objected if Archer/Phlox had made either choice. As I expect you knew.

mean, literally yes, but - as horrible as that was - I don't see

Killing off a liked character might literally be a character assassination, but this topic is more for figurative ones.